


Nevertheless (I'm in love with you)

by jaeyongficfest, ncityinthehouse



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Record Store, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mutual Pining, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:21:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26374144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaeyongficfest/pseuds/jaeyongficfest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncityinthehouse/pseuds/ncityinthehouse
Summary: Jaehyun’s mother always said he falls in love too easily — with his first grade teacher, with the moon during an eclipse, with the way the word eucalyptus feels on his tongue, with poetry from centuries past. He falls easily, and he falls hard, but the boy who always plays records during his shift at the record store, with the magnetic smile, and beautiful laugh, and pink hair that’s somehow always falling in his eyes, was different. Because falling in love with Taeyong was the easiest fall of them all.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 23
Kudos: 326





	Nevertheless (I'm in love with you)

**Author's Note:**

> To the readers, I hope you love this fic ~ I had so much fun writing this!!
> 
> The title is a song off of Frank Sinatra’s album ‘Nice n’ Easy’ & the whole album goes well with reading this fic if you want to check it out and listen while you read!! 
> 
> Finally, to the prompter, I hope that this fic does your beautiful prompt justice & you love it as much as I do :) happy reading!

Lee Taeyong is undeniably _beautiful._

When Jaehyun first saw him, one lonely night in November, he had a hard time processing that yes, apparently some people _do_ look like that in real life. 

Taeyong’s hair was brighter then, the now faded pink only a shadow of its once vibrant color, but his colorful hair wasn’t even the most striking thing about him. Not his hair, or his skin, or the way his mouth looked like a heart when he pursed his lips in concentration, or even the way he would make small sounds of contentment when he liked something. 

No, It was his _face_ that made Jaehyun’s breath catch in his throat when Taeyong walked through the doors of the record store, his face that made Jaehyun’s heart start to beat out of his chest, his face that made him stop in his tracks and just watch in awe as Taeyong casually browsed through the rows of records, stopping to look at one that caught his eye. 

Taeyong was _beautiful,_ obviously, but he wasn’t the kind of beautiful that you see in magazines, or the kind you see in your family, he was, _is,_ the kind of beautiful that’s _unattainable._ The beauty that the Greeks described their gods with, and Shakespeare wrote sonnets about, and you dreamed of when your mom whispered bedtime stories in the dark, of faraway princes and princesses. His jawline was that of an artist’s hundredth try, the sketch where they were _finally_ satisfied, the shape drawn, and drawn, and drawn again until every angle, every line, was perfectly crafted. 

Taeyong had browsed silently, wandering through the rows of records at an extremely casual pace for someone in a store only a few minutes before closing. He would pick up a new record every few steps only to look at the cover, tracing shapes on the album lightly with the tip of a finger before putting it back in its spot, moving to a new section to do just the same thing. 

Jaehyun watched the pattern go on, silently working up the courage to ask if he needed any help. He desperately hoped the answer would be yes because he didn’t want to let the mysterious boy go just yet. He opened his mouth to ask, but at the same time, the pink haired boy turned to him, looking up with a smile as he raised the album in his hand in question, stopping the thought in Jaehyun’s mind before it could leave his lips.

“Could I listen to this?” the boy asked, his head cocked slightly as he waited for Jaehyun to snap out of the trance he had unknowingly put him in. His voice was deeper than Jaehyun had expected, the sound causing Jaehyun’s heart to beat even faster in his chest. 

Jaehyun had been embarrassingly quick to respond, mustering up a rushed, _“Oh!_ of course,” managing to stumble over the three short words as his body jerked to motion to show him where he could play the record. Jaehyun cursed himself for sounding like a glorified caveman just because he was flustered but was surprised that he even got that many words out with Taeyong looking at him with _that smile._ Jaehyun would later learn that he smiles like that all the time, that he’s just effortlessly that beautiful.

Taeyong hadn’t even stayed long that day, just played the record as he sat, eyes closed as he nodded his head to the music as it poured through his headphones.

Taeyong had left a little while later with a rushed smile and a soft _“thanks for your help,”_ leaving Jaehyun to close the store in stunned silence, wondering if that had even happened, or if working for hours on end made him hallucinate the most beautiful human he had ever seen coming into the store, and _smiling at him._

Jaehyun could wax poetry about him for hours… and well, he _did,_ to his roommate Johnny, that first night after he saw him in the record store. 

He had rushed back to their apartment the second that his shift at the record store ended, throwing open the door and running to Johnny’s room, explaining how he had fallen in love… _again._

“No, Johnny, shut the fuck up. You don’t understand,” Jaehyun had whined, after Johnny started to laugh at him. Jaehyun frowned, plopping at the foot of his roommate’s bed with his eyes pointed to the ceiling, “this time I _know_ it’s real. We had a moment, I swear. He looked at me and _smiled!”_

Johnny had only laughed harder, “Okay. _First of all,_ you said that about the last guy. What was his name, again? Sa-Sacheng? Sichang?—” Johnny started, trying to sound the name out with brows furrowed.  
  
Jaehyun interjected with a groan, sitting up to argue back, “—his name was _Sicheng,_ and that was a completely differen—” 

Johnny cut him off with a heavy hand on his shoulder and a shake of his head, no. “Whatever dude, it doesn’t matter, he literally didn’t know you existed. And second of all, Jae, you _know_ who you just described, right? _Totally not_ _happening.”_

Jaehyun shook his head, words fumbling out of his mouth in rising panic, “no, why? Who is he? _Should_ I know him? I feel like I would definitely remember if I had seen him before… Wait a minute, how the fuck do _you_ know him? _”_

“You just described _Taeyong,_ dumbass,” Johnny deadpanned, his lips turning up into a grin as recognition set on Jaehyun’s face. 

_Shit._

Bright pink hair, bubbly personality, disgustingly handsome, _unattainable._

Sure enough, Jaehyun had just described none other than Lee Taeyong himself, a junior who was also known as the campus heartthrob. The man who had at least half of a university in love with him at a time, and _most importantly,_ the guy who had never accepted a single invitation to a date in his entire three years at the university.

Not for lack of trying, either. 

For the first year or so, it was almost a competition of who could get the beautiful Lee Taeyong to go on a date with them first. Eventually, though, everyone gave up, because no matter how beautiful, or smart, or kind, or wonderful the person was, he always rejected them, for reasons nobody knew. 

Maybe Johnny _was_ right; maybe Jaehyun really didn’t stand a chance. 

◌◌◌

Lee Taeyong doesn’t have _crushes_. 

Crushes are for children, or hopeless romantics who always end up with their hearts broken in the end, or fairy princesses who don’t have a single problem to face in the world. 

Besides, Taeyong had made it to his junior year in college without breaking his one and only rule — _don’t fall in love… again._ After his boyfriend of three years had broken his heart into a million pieces with a text that simply read: “I think we should go back to being friends, I don’t think long distance is going to work for us. Have fun at college,” Taeyong had sworn off men completely. 

Or, at least he had tried. 

Sure, Taeyong had slept with some people throughout his college years, but having a crush? A real relationship? Anything remotely close? _No way._

He had made it through three whole years of no dates, no real intimacy, no boyfriends, no crushes. Through three years of building walls around his heart, through all of the men and women he had to politely decline, through missed opportunity after missed opportunity of potential lovers. Three _whole_ years, and within just a few weeks, all of the _work_ he had put in to guarding his heart was crumbling out from under him. 

So, no, Taeyong doesn’t have _crushes,_ and yet, he still somehow finds himself at the same record store on the corner of Elm and Main, almost every Friday night. 

At first, Taeyong had excused it — written it off as _coincidence._

He had first seen the record store on his walk home from a guest lecture. He had been speed walking down Main Street on the way back to his apartment when he saw the neon lights in the corner of his eye, the sight making his lips curve into a smile, which only grew as he recognized that it was a record store. 

His grandfather used to love to play him records when he was little, records were their _thing._ Taeyong’s heart clenches at the thought. His grandfather had passed away only a few months ago, and the loss still didn’t feel real. Taeyong hadn’t realized how much he had missed their little moments together, listening to music on his old record player. He found himself walking into the store a few moments later and almost subconsciously finding some of his grandfather’s favorite albums, running his fingers over the titles as he reminisced listening to the records as a child, sitting on his grandfather’s old recliner as they sang Sinatra and Elvis. He found one of his favorite records, a lump of emotion forming in his throat at the sight of the worn album. He looked up to ask for help to play it, realizing he hadn’t even looked to see if there was a worker when he came in, too preoccupied with memories and emotions. 

And, _fuck_ if his traitorous heart didn’t skip a beat as he looked up and saw the worker behind the register. 

The boy before him looked to be about the same age as him, maybe a little younger, with neatly styled black hair, soft brown eyes, and _oh my god… dimples._ Taeyong excused the foreign feeling in the pit of his stomach that he felt when the boy smiled as a fluke, and _definitely_ not anything related to how strikingly attractive the boy was. 

He asked for help and watched as the tips of the boy’s ears turned bright red under Taeyong’s attention, making him smile as the boy stumbled over his words. He seemed nervous as he helped him with the record player, his hands shaking slightly as he moved the needle onto the record. 

Cute. 

Taeyong only got to listen to a few songs off of the album before he checked his phone and realized the time, rushing back home so his roommates didn’t think he had died on his walk home, not even getting the handsome worker’s name before he had to rush back into the night. 

And, maybe, just maybe, Taeyong found himself at the same record store, just a week later.

It was Friday again, and he found himself walking towards the store, because he _needs to get a record for Baekhyunie’s birthday._ Definitely needs to go, just for Baek’s birthday present… and nothing else.

But oh, is that the cute worker with the dimples, again? 

Then, _again_. 

Well, maybe he should visit the record store this Friday _too,_ because… well _,_ Doyoung said he liked that one Frank Ocean album, and maybe Taeyong should listen to it too! Oh, would you look at that! His favorite worker, what a _coincidence..._

And, again. 

And, again _._

And, again … _today_. 

Taeyong looks at his watch, the time reading 8:50. He lets out a small noise of frustration, hurrying up to a speed walk as he beelines for the record store. He had lost track of time while he was trying to pick out an outfit, getting distracted by Baekhyun and Doie’s teasing, and was almost too late, the store closing in so little time. 

_“Ooh, Taeyongie, look at you! Who’s the lucky guy?” Baekhyun asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively with a small giggle as he walked into Taeyong’s bedroom in the apartment the three of them shared, moving to plop on Taeyong’s bed and watch as he tried on different earrings._

_“Yeah, Yong, did you finally agree to go on a date with someone?” Doyoung had added from his spot in the corner, raising his own brow in question. Doyoung had always thought that Taeyong pushing anyone and everyone away just because of how his ex-boyfriend had treated him was ridiculous and he had been pushing Taeyong to accept at least one of the dates he’s been asked on, for the better part of their friendship._

_“Shut up, I’m not trying to look good for anyone,” Taeyong had responded, feeling an uncharacteristic blush rise on his cheeks at the suggestion, the words sounding like a lie, even to himself. He smooths a hand over his shirt, getting imaginary wrinkles out of the silk. It was a new shirt, a black silk button up that he had seen the other day in a store and knew he had to have._

_“As if,” Doyoung scoffed, pointing to the gold earrings he was putting on, then waving a hand down his body as if to emphasize his outfit, “and where did you say you were going dressed like that, again?”_

_Taeyong turned to hit Doyoung’s shoulder, mumbling out, “I’m going to the record store, I already told you that.”_

_Baekhyun smiled, clearly enjoying Taeyong being the one that’s flustered for once, “So you’re going on a date at the record store, then? That’s cute.”_

_Taeyong felt his cheeks heat up even more, “It’s not a fucking date, shut up. Besides, he barely even speaks to me, I doubt he’d want to go on a date with me.”_

_Taeyong realized his mistake a second too late, dragging a hand over his face as Baekhyun teased him, “So you admit that there is a he?”_

_Doyoung moved to sit on the bed, singing, “Taeyongie has a cruuush!” as he sat down, causing all three of them to laugh._

_“Oh, fuck off,” Taeyong groaned, “I don’t have a crush. I just… think he’s attractive, is all, and he seems nice! And maybe he_ — _” Taeyong trailed off as he looked down at his phone, realizing the time. Realizing that the store closed in twenty minutes and he still had to walk to get there._

_“Fuck,” Taeyong cursed under his breath, gathering his stuff as he threw on shoes and ran out the door, a chorus of “you definitely have a crush!” following him out onto the street._

Taeyong stops in front of the store to catch his breath, checking his watch to see that he still has two minutes ‘til closing. He straightens up, raking a hand through his hair and smoothing out his shirt one final time before pushing open the doors as he walks in, realizing with a start that he doesn’t have an excuse this time. No album he wants to listen to, no records he wants to buy, no birthdays to shop for. No excuse, except for a boy who he can’t seem to get off of his mind. A boy who he may or may not have a huge, disgusting, _maybe I do want more than a no strings attached thing_ kind of crush on. 

A boy who’s currently standing three feet in front of him, with a look of surprise written on his face, and maybe a flash of something more as he takes in Taeyong’s outfit. 

And maybe, not that he would ever admit it, his roommates were right. Taeyong didn’t wear silk for just anyone, after all. 

◌◌◌

Jaehyun wouldn’t say he was _disappointed_ that Taeyong didn’t come to the record store today, but … well, okay, maybe he _was_ disappointed. 

He had gotten used to seeing Taeyong every Friday night, is all. Had gotten used to the rush of serotonin and butterflies threatening to beat out of his chest every time the clock hit 8:30 and he saw a flash of pink hair floating through the aisles of the store. 

Jaehyun had even worked up his courage to finally talk to Taeyong this afternoon. Really talk to him, not just ask him if he needed help with anything. That’s not to say that his sudden inspiration to make some sort of move was of his own volition, rather due to lots of pestering from Johnny throughout the past few weeks. 

_“You’re seeing pretty boy again this Friday, right? Are you finally going to say more than five words?”_

_“Jae the amount you talk about Taeyong is concerning for how little you actually see him. When are you going to do something about that?”_

_“Remind me why you haven’t asked Taeyong out yet, even though you are like hopelessly in love with the guy?”_

_“How are you going to get him to fall in love with you if he doesn’t even know your name?”_

_“Jae, have you asked Taeyong, out? Still haven’t, bro? What are you waiting for, Christmas?”_

_“Jaehyun, dude, it’s getting pitiful. Please just fucking tell him you want to take him on a date, or I’m going to ask him out on one myself.”_

After the last one, paired with the mere thought of Johnny going on a date with the man that Jaehyun had been pining after for the better part of two months, he finally worked up enough courage to _at least_ introduce himself. Maybe even to compliment him, if he was feeling extremely brave. 

So, yes, maybe he was a little disappointed that the one day he decides he’s going to speak to the boy he’s practically in love with, he doesn’t show up. 

Johnny would say Jaehyun was being dramatic, but Jaehyun really did have a sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach. 

He had missed his chance. 

He had opportunity after opportunity, every single Friday for the past seven or so weeks, and still did nothing. 

Jaehyun looks at the time on his phone for what felt like the hundredth time in the past few minutes, the clock now reading 8:55, and sighs softly, deciding to start cleaning up.

_Taeyong wasn’t coming._

Jaehyun goes to the back after closing the register, grabbing his backpack out of the storage room and snatching the store’s keys off of the table, flicking the lights off as he walks towards the front door, moving through the store with his head down. 

Jaehyun feels his phone buzz in his pocket and pulls it out to see the 8 new message notifications from Johnny that he’d been ignoring while he waited for Taeyong to show up, each new message sent every few minutes after 8:30. 

He opens up the message thread and laughs to himself as he reads them.

From: Papa John 🐻

8:38 PM: _How did it go with Taeyong?_

8:40 PM: _“??????”_

8:40 PM: _“Well? Hello??? Did u do it?”_

8:43 PM: _“Did you ask him?”_

8:45 PM: _“JAEHYUN HELLO!? WTF??? The suspense is killing me”_

8:46 PM: _wait … unless u r STILL TALKING TO HIM !!!!!!_

8:48 PM: _r u alive ?? omfg did u go home with him ???_

8:48 PM: _ok if u went home w him then lmao jaehyun 1st win??? If u didn’t then can u get some milk & eggs on ur way home? _

And Johnny thinks _he’s_ the dramatic one. Jaehyun rolls his eyes at his best friend’s antics, but finds himself smiling a little, thankful that he has a friend like Johnny who can always put him in a better mood. Jaehyun stops walking, gnawing on his lower lip as he focuses on typing out a response. 

To: Papa John 🐻

8:55 PM: sorry bro just saw these! but no to all of the above :(((

8:55 PM: he didn’t show up ...

8:56 PM: FUCKKK FML what if i never see him again :( 

8:57 PM: but yea i’ll get eggs & milk. do u want 2% or what ??

Jaehyun puts his phone back in his pocket and turns, shrugging off a shoulder strap of his backpack to grab his car keys out of the front pocket. He rummages around for a second, feeling for the metal only to freeze when he hears the bell at the front door ring. He startles at the noise, his head snapping up as he opens his mouth to tell the person that sorry, the store actually just closed, only for his words to catch in his throat as he realizes who is standing in front of him. 

_He came,_ is the only coherent thought that runs through Jaehyun’s mind as he blinks up at the pink haired boy in front of him.

Jaehyun straightens, keys now hanging limply in his hand, his mouth falling open as he stares in shock at the boy in front of him. 

He blinks and he’s still there, so he knows he’s not hallucinating. But, oh my god, does this feel like a hallucination. 

“Am I too late?” the boy asks, his words breathy, rushed.

“Taeyong?” Jaehyun asks softly, his voice riddled with surprise, “what are you doing here?”

Jaehyun’s eyes roam over Taeyong’s body, flicking from the black silk button down with its few opened buttons, showcasing his collarbones, to the tight black skinny jeans with rips dangerously high on his thighs, to the way his chest is rising and falling rapidly as he catches his breath, almost as if he had run here.

His eyes make their way back up to Taeyong’s, only to find him already staring at him, a knowing smile pulling at the boy’s lips, his head tilted in question. 

“What?” Jaehyun asks, confused by the other boy’s expression. If anyone should be confused, Jaehyun feels like it should definitely be _him._

“You just called me Taeyong,” he points out, laughing as Jaehyun turns to a blushing mess at the accusation apparent between the lines of the sentence. 

_Fuck._ He _had_ called him Taeyong… but Taeyong had never actually introduced himself. Which means… 

“Sorry, I- I um, it’s just that— well, you’re kind of, um,” Jaehyun starts, covering his face with his hands as he stumbles over every word, his ears burning in embarrassment. 

Of course, _of course_ the first real conversation he has with Taeyong he manages to fuck up in the first word, already sounding like some obsessed fanboy. And fine, maybe he _is,_ maybe he’s just another person who’s fallen for the boy’s charm and is stupidly enamored with him _,_ but Taeyong definitely does _not_ need to know that. 

“Calm down,” Taeyong says, laughing as he reaches out to pull Jaehyun’s hands off of his face, placing a reassuring hand on Jaehyun’s arm, “I was just messing with you. I know the pink hair is like kind of a dead giveaway.”

Jaehyun goes still under Taeyong’s touch, his heart beating at a pace he thinks may actually kill him, simply from Taeyong’s hand resting on his bicep. 

“Yeah, yes, _it was the pink hair._ Yep, definitely,” Jaehyun mutters, relieved that Taeyong was either pretending like his hair color was why he was well-known (and not the fact that he looked like a sculpture in human form), or that he was just clueless of how many people still had a crush on him. 

“It’s unfair,” Taeyong muses, retracting his hand from Jaehyun’s arm as he takes a slight step forward.

Now, Jaehyun is less sure that this isn’t a hallucination. Because… this can’t be real, right? Is this a dream? _Please_ don’t let this be a dream.

“What is?” Jaehyun asks, his heartbeat getting even faster as Taeyong’s step moves him even closer. If Jaehyun was nervous to just talk to him, then whatever _this_ was _,_ was going to push him over the edge. 

“You know who I am, but I don’t know you,” Taeyong says slowly, now close enough that he has to look up slightly to meet Jaehyun’s eyes. Taeyong pauses, then smiles a little, almost to himself, correcting his last sentence, “yet, that is. I don’t know you, _yet.”_

Jaehyun finds himself matching Taeyong’s expression, his own lips pulling into a small smile as he responds, “Um, Jaehyun. I mean my name, my name is Jaehyun. I’m a sophomore, and well, I’m a classics major. I live over in the Westbrook apartments with my best friend, Johnny. Uhh, I like basketball, and um peaches? Yeah, I like peaches… and I like the color white,” Jaehyun trails off, realizing he’s rambling, and that Taeyong probably doesn’t actually care what his favorite color is or if he likes fruit or not.

 _“Jaehyun,”_ Taeyong repeats slowly, mulling over the name. “It’s nice to finally put a name to your face,” Taeyong says, holding out a hand. Jaehyun takes his outstretched hand, shaking it as Taeyong smiles up at him. He continues, “Let’s see, my name is Lee Taeyong, but apparently you already know that.” He lets go of Jaehyun’s hand, laughing as Jaehyun’s ears turn red again at the reminder that he had really said that. “I’m an elementary education major, and a junior. My favorite color is pink, and you know what, Jaehyun, I like peaches too. _And_ I believe we could possibly be neighbors; I live over in Westbrook, too, with my two best friends.”

Jaehyun’s heart skips a beat at his answer, happy to finally know something about him other than the fact that he’s ridiculously attractive, and possibly likes music. Then his heart skips again when he realizes they live in the same building, and Taeyong has been _so close_ to him all this time, and he didn’t even know. 

Do they live near each other? On the same floor? 

While Jaehyun stands in silent shock, thinking about how incredibly strange it is that he’s never even seen him in the building, Taeyong misunderstands Jaehyun’s silence as a cue, taking a step back towards the door, “Sorry for keeping you. I’ll be on my way, then. But I’m happy that I know you, now, _Jaehyun._ See you next Friday?” Taeyong asks, his lips pulling into a big smile as he reaches the door, opening it as he looks back, waiting for Jaehyun’s response. 

“Definitely see you next Friday,” Jaehyun responds, biting his bottom lip as he tries to contain the ridiculous smile at the fact that he feels blooming at the fact that he knows he’ll see Taeyong again soon. At knowing that he hasn’t missed his chance completely, that maybe he hasn’t missed it at all. 

He watches as Taeyong steps through the door, only to realize he never answered Jaehyun’s question on what he was doing at the store. 

“Wait, Taeyong,” Jaehyun starts, causing Taeyong to pause in the doorway and look back. Jaehyun takes a step towards the boy as his brows furrow, “I can keep the store open for a few more minutes if you want to listen to something? Were you trying to buy a record?”

“Oh, no, It’s okay. I think I got everything I needed,” Taeyong says with a crooked grin, walking out before Jaehyun can say anything else, leaving him standing alone in the dark store with a stupid grin plastered on his face as he watches a swath of black silk and pink hair fade into the night.

Jaehyun snaps out of it a moment later, finishing closing up the store and locking the door, walking to the parking lot, swinging his keys in his hand and dialing Johnny on the way. 

Jaehyun unlocks his car, waiting as the phone rings through a few times before Johnny finally answers, “Yo, what’s up?”

“Johnny. John, Holy fuck. I _swear to_ _God_ you are never going to believe what just happened,” Jaehyun practically yells into his phone once he gets into the car, slamming the door behind him and putting the phone on speaker as he buckles himself into his seat. 

“Aw, man, what? Are they out of 2% milk?” Johnny responds with a groan, making Jaehyun laugh. 

“Nope,” Jaehyun responds, popping the ‘p’ as he turns his key in the ignition, starting his car, “even _crazier.”_

◌◌◌

The week had passed so unbearingly slowly, but the day had _finally_ come.

Jaehyun had been nervous since the night before, watching the clock during his morning classes, barely paying attention to Johnny during dinner, sitting at work in silence as he watched the clock tick down. Nervous probably wasn’t even the right word for it either, it was a feeling that was so all-encompassing, a mix of excited and nervous and endeared all at once. The feeling of when summer vacation starts on the other side of an exam, when your stomach hurts because of the wait, but you’re so excited for what comes after that you don’t even know how to feel.

Because it was _Friday._ And that meant that it was automatically his favorite day of the week. Not because classes were over, or that it was almost the weekend, or it was a holiday, or birthday, but because he was seeing Taeyong today.

Johnny had told him over breakfast he was being ridiculous, and that if he talked about seeing Taeyong one more time that he was going to tape his mouth shut with duct tape, but literally nothing could stop him from feeling this way. Because, for the first time ever, being hopelessly devoted didn’t feel quite so hopeless.

And Taeyong, as promised, had sauntered through the doors of the record store, a mop of pink hair flashing through the corner of Jaehyun’s eye as the clock struck 8:30, turning to Jaehyun with a smile and saying, so incredibly softly, “hi, Jaehyunnie, I’ve missed you this week,” leaving Jaehyun to stand in front of him, a stupidly large grin on his face, ears burning red, because ‘Jaehyunnie’ and ‘I’ve missed you’ coming from Taeyong’s mouth was enough to send him into another dimension.

But that Friday wasn’t like all of the other Fridays, because _everything_ was different now. Because Taeyong was _talking to him._

Their first few encounters consisted of simple chatter — who are your roommates, how are your classes, where are you from, etc., all of the typical small talk bullshit — but once they got comfortable and started to _really_ talk _,_ they started to get close, and fast _._ It was surprising, Jaehyun thought, _just_ how well they got along. Even just from their first meeting, Taeyong felt familiar, like home. It was the easiest thing in the world to talk to Taeyong, no matter how flustered he made Jaehyun feel, or how nervous. It felt right, and that’s all that mattered to Jaehyun.

One Friday night, Jaehyun had told him that he actually works random hours throughout the week, so eventually Taeyong started to come during the weekdays too. He had been tentative at first, texting Jaehyun before he would stop in, not wanting to “bother him,” but after Jaehyun had assured him that Taeyong coming to see him was quite possibly the best part of any day, he would just stop by whenever he could. Taeyong pops in between classes if he knows Jaehyun is going to be there, brings him coffee because he knows his order now, just one of the many things they had talked about over the time they’ve spent together, comes to do homework and just be in the other’s company.

Jaehyun was slowly putting together the puzzle pieces, figuring out the mystery boy in a way no one else seemed to be able to, and _god_ was he falling in love.

They had gotten into a routine of sorts, the two of them in a world of their own, just Jaehyun and Taeyong, Taeyong and Jaehyun. Jaehyun would text him when he was working, and Taeyong would always come, even if he was just going to sit in silence and do work, but it was perfect, because they were together, and Jaehyun wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.

Every day he visited, Taeyong would listen to an album, always just one, spending a few minutes picking through the shelves until he was happy with his choice, and would bring it over to Jaehyun to play it for him. And every day, Jaehyun would, because even though they both knew that at this point Taeyong _definitely_ knew how to play them himself, Jaehyun still did it, because Taeyong asked him to, and he wasn’t sure if there was anything that Taeyong could ask him to do that he wouldn’t.

And every day when he left, Jaehyun would go back to the shelves, pick out the album, and listen to it himself. Because the smile on Taeyong’s face every time he finished an album and put it back in the shelf was a form of euphoria that Jaehyun wanted to experience, to feel just a little bit of Taeyong’s joy, to understand the boy just a little more.

And every day that Jaehyun got closer, he was never close enough. He could listen to Taeyong talk for hours on end, could get lost in the pink haired boy and his beautiful laugh and never want to find a way out.

And, Jaehyun supposed, maybe this was what it really felt like, to free fall in love, and hope that you’re caught at the bottom of the cliff.

◌◌◌

Taeyong realizes one Tuesday afternoon when he comes back home from the record store that he feels ridiculously happy. 

Like, doesn’t mind doing his schoolwork, wakes up and goes on walks, is humming as he does chores, _kind of happy._

Then, he realizes _why_ , and the mere thought that pops into his mind makes his heart race and his eyes water and his stomach clench in fear and excitement all at once. 

He’s _falling for Jaehyun_. 

He probably has been since that very first day, when he was drawn to the record store, by some act of fate, or divine intervention, or whatever forces pushed him to walk inside the store.

He had _forgotten_ what it felt like to have a crush on somebody. A genuine, real, honest to god _crush_ on someone. A butterflies-in-your-stomach, nervous laughter when you’re near them, warm heart when you touch, crush. He had forgotten the feeling of disappointment when you don’t see them that day, the feeling of awe when you listen to them talk about something they love, the feeling of your stomach dropping like you are freefalling from a plane when they complement you. 

The longing. The desire. The craving for their attention, affection, touch.

He hadn’t let himself _feel_ in so long, and yet, every single day, he was _falling in love_ with Jaehyun. And, surprisingly, against all odds, despite everything he used to preach about love not being real, he didn’t think he minded. Didn’t think he minded at all.

◌◌◌

Another week passes. Then another. Then another.

By this point, Jaehyun is pretty sure Taeyong is the closest person to him in his life right now, so why does it still feel like he’s so far away?

Jaehyun walks into his apartment and sighs, trudging over to the kitchen where Johnny is working on some kind of homework for economics that makes Jaehyun’s head hurt to think about. 

He had just come back from an afternoon shift at the record store and _god_ did he feel in love. Taeyong was being exceptionally sweet, had brought him lunch from his favorite place _just_ because Jaehyun had texted him that he was having a bad day because a customer was really rude to him. And, Jaehyun had thought, you know, this must _mean something._

It has to, right? 

And then, Taeyong had called him a _friend._ Right when Jaehyun finally thought they were getting somewhere, too.

Under any other circumstances, sure, it was true Taeyong and Jaehyun had become really good friends over the past few weeks. They had been spending so much time together, texting when they were apart, even facetiming some nights if they were bored. Jaehyun had been too scared to offer to let them hang out in his apartment, even though he knew Taeyong was somewhere a few apartments over in the same building, too scared that he was going to try to make a move and get rejected. Because that would just about crush him. 

But today, Taeyong had been leaning on his shoulder, so close that Jaehyun’s heart was pounding rampantly against his ribcage, and Jaehyun had thought about it. Had really thought about just turning his head that extra few inches, grabbing Taeyong’s beautiful face gently between two hands, and _kissing him._ Telling him that he was hopelessly, wonderfully in love with him. That he wanted so, so much more from the boy who was slowly becoming such a big part of his life. 

And then Taeyong had sat up, smiled and said, “I’m so happy I met you, Jaehyunnie, I couldn’t ask for a better friend.” 

Jaehyun had muttered out a sound of agreement, nodding his head as his brain turned over his words. A better friend. Friend. A _friend._

He leans forward, now having reached Johnny’s chair at the kitchen counter, his head falling to rest on Johnny’s shoulder. He felt exhausted, and confused, and most of all like he was an idiot for falling for the most perfect person to ever grace planet earth, when he knew that Taeyong didn’t date. 

“What’s wrong, peach?” Johnny asks, making Jaehyun smile slightly at the nickname. He had jokingly started to call Jaehyun peach at the beginning of their freshman year when he discovered he had dimples, saying that he looked like a peach. When Jaehyun had revealed that they were actually one of his favorite foods, too, it had just stuck, and Johnny had been calling him peach ever since. 

“Unrequited love,” Jaehyun muses quietly, thinking that’s the simplest way to say it. There were moments where he felt like he really might have a chance, like when Taeyong would call him cute when he smiled and his dimples came out, or when he would lean in and touch his arm when he was talking or send him a good morning or a good night message. But then there was a little voice in the back of his head that repeated _“I couldn’t ask for a better friend,”_ and he overlooked the subtle glances and glancing touches and cute messages. 

“Okay, no, dude, listen to me literally right now,” Johnny says, shutting his computer and pulling out the chair next to him, patting it for Jaehyun to sit, “No seriously, sit down.”

Jaehyun reluctantly pulls his head off of Johnny’s shoulder and drags his feet over, plopping in the seat, and preparing for Johnny to tell him again that he’s just a fool in love, and he’s being ridiculous, and he told him so.

“Okay, listen to me. Are you listening?” Johnny asks, leaning his elbows onto the counter towards Jaehyun, waiting until he nods to continue, “okay. How many times would you say Taeyong has come see you at the record store?”

Jaehyun tilts his head, confused on how that’s important, “I don’t know John, I don’t think I could count. Like most days of the week, these days, probably? We’re friends now, though, so I don’t really see how that’s relevant?”

And there’s that cursed word again, _friends._

“You don’t see how that’s relevant? Are you joking?” Johnny says, leaning forward as if waiting for Jaehyun to say that _yes, he was joking._ But, Jaehyun just shook his head, no, because what does Taeyong visiting him have to do with Jaehyun being sad and full of pining. 

“Jaehyun, oh my god, you have _got_ to be kidding me,” Johnny says, running his hands through his hair, “Hopeless, dude, hopeless. Okay, let’s put this in perspective. How many times have I come to the record store, with no reason other than just to see you?”

“Well you used to come a lot more,” Jaehyun starts, thinking, “You were working on your record collection last year, so you came by a lot, actually.”

“No, no, no. I don’t mean to buy a record, or like shop when I know you’re working, I mean to just come see you, literally just to stop by and see you because I want to.”

 _“Oh,”_ Jaehyun frowns, “maybe like twice?” 

Johnny laughs again, shaking his head, “No, Jae. the answer is literally _never._ Never, not once. I am your best friend in the _whole_ world, your roommate, platonic soulmate, et cetera, all that bullshit, and I have literally _never_ gone to the record store just to see you. And Taeyong’s been, how many times did you say? Like a million?”

Jaehyun nods, and Johnny smiles, continuing, “Don’t you see what I’m saying? ‘Unrequited love’ _my_ _ass,_ peach. That boy loves you too, and we both know it.”

Jaehyun gets out of his chair, takes a step forward and pulls Johnny into a hug, wrapping his arms around the taller boy’s shoulders. 

“Thanks, Johnny,” he whispers into the top of his head. “You really think so?” Jaehyun asks, his voice small as he leans back to stand in front of him. 

Johnny reaches up and ruffles his hair, smiling, “I _know so._ He’d be a fool not to love you, Jae. Besides, you guys are perfect for each other.”

Johnny opens back up his computer, turning it back on as Jaehyun starts to walk away. Johnny looks over his shoulder and calls, “now you just have to stop being a big pussy baby and _ask him out!”_ At Jaehyun’s back, causing him to yell back, _“Oh, fuck off!”_ sending him a vulgar gesture as they both laugh, a thread of hope blooming inside of Jaehyun’s chest that maybe Taeyong really did like him too. 

◌◌◌

It’s really not like Taeyong to be forgetful. 

It’s really truly not like him. And yet, this is the _second time_ he’s forgotten something of his at the record store. The first time, he realized right as he walked outside that he had left his phone on the counter, too distracted by talking with Jaehyun about an album they both loved to notice he wasn’t holding it anymore. He and Jaehyun had been mid argument of whether Sweet or Crush by Cigarettes after Sex was the better song when he looked at the clock on the wall and realized he was running _very_ late for dinner and drinks he had planned with the roommates, and rushed out the door, only to return a minute later to get his phone, which Jaehyun had been waiting at the door with, tossing it to him while laughing at the blooming blush on his cheeks at his forgetfulness. 

So, for him to leave something there a _second_ time in just two days was honestly more than a little bit embarrassing. He supposes it’s just the effect Jaehyun has on him, making him get so stuck in the little moments they share that he forgets what time it is, forgets what he’s supposed to be doing, forgets what he even has with him. 

He had only been at the record store for an hour earlier, short compared to how long he’s been spending there recently, simply listening to one of his favorite albums to play at the record store, Michael Jackson’s _Invincible_ , and then leaving, all the while forgetting his umbrella he had brought to his morning classes, just to realize he had left it there once he already got home.

As he makes his walk back to the record store, only about thirty minutes after he had left, he can’t help but glance at his phone, secretly hoping that Jaehyun found his umbrella and somehow knew it was his, _and_ got the idea in his brain to bring it to Taeyong, even if it was just an excuse to see him. He normally would just ask Jaehyun to bring it back to the apartments with him, but if Taeyong was going to be invited over to Jaehyun’s apartment, he really hoped it would be of his own volition because he _wanted him to be there,_ maybe even because he wanted him to _stay,_ but definitely not just to return an umbrella and send him back on his way.

But, of course, there was no new message, and Taeyong was just going to have to suck it up and walk back and get it, before it got lost forever and he had to buy a new one.

Taeyong walks for a few more minutes, finally sighing in relief when the neon “open” sign came into his line of vision, his legs tired from the useless walk that he will have to do for the third time in the past hour when he heads home in just a few minutes.

Right as he was about to open the door, something catches his eye through the window and he pauses, his hand hovering over the door handle as he looks through the glass.

Because there was Jaehyun, sitting down in Taeyong’s favorite chair, headphones ridiculously large on his head, album in his hands, nodding his head to the music with a small smile on his lips.

And when Taeyong looks closer, his heart just about stops in his chest, because right then and there he realizes why no one else had _ever_ made him feel this way was simply because they weren’t _Jaehyun_. Beautiful, soft, adorable Jaehyun who was currently listening to the album Taeyong had chosen to listen to for the day, smiling to himself as he listens to the music.

Nobody else ever stood a chance.

And fuck if it wasn’t the cutest thing Taeyong had ever seen that Jaehyun was listening to an album just because he knew Taeyong liked it.

Taeyong withdraws his hand and backs away from the door, thinking that this was a moment Jaehyun deserved to have for himself, not wanting to embarrass the boy, accidentally, by walking in on such a peaceful moment, wondering if Jaehyun had been doing this often, how many times he had sat down and listened to Taeyong’s music.

And then it struck Taeyong, right then and there, that he _needed_ to tell Jaehyun how he felt, needed him to know what he did to him. And he knew just how he was going to do it.

He stopped by staples on his way home, post-it notes in hand, his umbrella completely forgotten.

◌◌◌

Taeyong smooths his hand over the sticky note he had just placed, running his hand over the words he had written that morning when he came up with the idea, smoothing down the note as a fond smile makes its way onto his face when he thinks of how Jaehyun’s going to react. 

“Jaehyunnie?” Taeyong calls across the store when he finishes the album, setting it back in its place, knowing that Jaehyun knows exactly what album he was listening to. His Jaehyunnie, ever observant of the little things. It was one of the things Taeyong liked most about him, that he noticed things no one else would. That he _cares_ about things no one else does.

He makes Taeyong feel special in a way that a compliment never could. In a way that means he cares about more than just how he looks, cares about him as a person, as a friend.

“Yeah?” Jaehyun responds, peeking his head out from the back room where he had gone to sort through a new shipment while Taeyong listened to his album of the day. Today, perhaps the most important album yet, he had chosen to listen to Nice n’ Easy by Frank Sinatra, his grandfather’s favorite album, the album he grew up listening to, the album his grandparents danced to at their wedding, and in their kitchen, singing along to the smooth beat as they taught Taeyong what real love looked like.

“I’m gonna head out,” Taeyong responds, not able to contain his smile as he walks across the room, pulling an unsuspecting Jaehyun into a tight hug.

Jaehyun wraps his arms around him almost immediately, tucking Taeyong’s head under his chin as he laughs, the vibrations of the deep chuckle rumbling against Taeyong’s cheek.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Jaehyun starts, leaning back slightly to look at Taeyong’s face, “but what’s this for? Is everything okay?”

“It will be soon, I think,” Taeyong responds with a knowing smile, looking up at Jaehyun’s slightly concerned face, the desire to kiss him almost overpowering. But he waits, because after waiting for so long, both too scared or too dumb to do anything about their obvious feelings, the deserved more than a rushed, in-the-moment kind of kiss as their first.

“Good. See you soon?” Jaehyun asks, running a hand soothingly over Taeyong’s spine, voice soft. Always so soft with Taeyong.

“Hopefully sooner than you think,” Taeyong responds with a wink, stepping back out of the hug, leaving Jaehyun who groans _stop being so cryptic,_ silently hoping and praying that Jaehyun is as consistent as he thinks he is, and his plan is going to work.

Hoping that in a few hours, he’ll get to hug Jaehyun again. Maybe kiss him this time, too.

◌◌◌

Jaehyun has been staring at the same six words for the past fifteen minutes, his heart just about beating out of his chest as his mind runs a million miles per hour, his finger tracing over handwriting he would recognize anywhere, words he thinks he knows the meaning of but is _terrified_ to confirm.

He had gone through the rest of his shift as normal, or at least as normal as he could with Taeyong being so strange that afternoon. The three steps he always closed the store with — close the register, clean the store front, listen to Taeyong’s album of the day, which was always Jaehyun’s favorite step. 

Except today wasn’t like all of those days before, because this time, when he pulled the album off of the shelf, Frank Sinatra’s Nice ‘n’ Easy, there was a sticky note stuck to the front cover. A sticky note, placed by Taeyong, in Taeyong’s nearly illegible scrawl, with Jaehyun’s name at the top.

A note on the album he listened to earlier that day, meaning that somehow, despite Jaehyun _never_ telling him, Taeyong somehow knew that Jaehyun had been listening to his albums.

Jaehyun didn’t even have it in him to be embarrassed that Taeyong had somehow figured him out, because it was Taeyong, of course he did.

And, the note. _God,_ the note.

Jaehyun thumbs over the writing one last time, reading the words, “Track 4. Apartment 501. Kiss me?” aloud, emotion clogging his throat as he sighs deeply, flipping the album over with shaky hands to read the track titles printed on the back.

Skimming down to track four, the second he reads the words he drops the album on the table and runs to the back, getting his things, locking the door and sprinting to his car, six words stuck in his mind, repeating over and over again.

Track four of Nice ‘n’ Easy, _“I’ve got a crush on you.”_

◌◌◌

Jaehyun passed his apartment on floor one, clearing floor two, floor three, floor four, finally reaching floor five, his chest heaving from exhaustion. But he was so close. So fucking close, and he was not stopping until he kissed the boy he loved.

Because Taeyong—beautiful, perfect, unattainable Lee Taeyong— who doesn’t have crushes, _has a crush on him._

Jaehyun sprints through the hall, eyes rapidly scanning apartment numbers, looking desperately for number 501, the number forever engraved in his memory.

Track four.

Apartment 501.

_Kiss me?_

Jaehyun had never in his life wanted something more.

He turns down the next hall, _finally_ finding it, reading the bronze numbers ‘501,’ his heart beating so fast, a combination of sprinting up five flights of stairs, and simply nerves from not knowing what he’s about to walk into. He pauses at the door to catch his breath, counting out a few seconds in his head before he opens the door and takes his first step in, only to see Taeyong pacing in the kitchen.

 _“Taeyong,”_ he says, his voice already wrecked, the sound causing Taeyong’s head to whip towards the door, a look of surprise written on his features. Jaehyun takes a tentative step closer to the boy, the boy frozen in front of him.

 _“You came,”_ Taeyong says, wonder and awe lacing his every word, “you’re here. You’re actually here.”

Jaehyun takes another step forward, now just a few feet away, an uncontrollable smile blooming on his face, his hands shaking in… anticipation? Excitement? Fear? Maybe even all three.

“Of course, I did. I got your note.”

Jaehyun takes another step forward, close enough that it causes Taeyong to take one step back, just a continuation of the game of cat and mouse they’ve been playing for months now.

But Jaehyun isn’t letting him get away this time, not now, not when he’s this close, just a few steps away. Not when he knows that Taeyong wants him too. 

“Six words,” Jaehyun says slowly, taking another small step forward, “Track four.” He takes another step, “Apartment 501.” He takes another, Taeyong’s back hitting the edge of his kitchen counter, a small gasp falling from his lips at the contact, the sound going straight to Jaehyun’s core.

“Remember the last two?” Jaehyun murmurs, his arms coming up to rest on either side of Taeyong’s hips as he leans in slowly, Taeyong’s breath fanning on Jaehyun’s face from their close proximity.

A beat passes of nothing more than them breathing heavily, eyes locked, and then Taeyong swallows heavily, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he whispers, _“Kiss me.”_

And, by god, he did _not_ have to tell Jaehyun twice.

Jaehyun hooks his hands behind Taeyong’s thighs, easily lifting him up onto the kitchen counter at the same time that he leans forward, capturing his lips in a bruising kiss, his hands snaking around Taeyong’s hips to pull him forward, his body flush against where Jaehyun is standing between his legs.

They both sigh into the kiss, emotion flooding Jaehyun’s brain as he realizes that _this is really happening._

He deepens the kiss, his tongue teasing at the edge of Taeyong’s lips, slipping into the wet heat of his mouth when he opens up, licking behind his teeth as Taeyong moans around his tongue. He slows the kiss down, the pace becoming lazy as he realizes they have all the time in the world, the taste of honey and bitter coffee on Taeyong’s tongue, as their tongues meet. Jaehyun pulls back slightly, biting at Taeyong’s bottom lip, drawing a low throaty whimper from the boy, the breathy noise causing Jaehyun’s hips to grind up desperately into Taeyong’s, seeking the friction he craves.

They pull back for air, gasping into each other’s mouths, drowning in the moment.

“Holy fuck,” Jaehyun murmurs, his head dropping to rest in the crook of Taeyong’s neck as he catches his breath. _“Taeyong,”_ He whispers, his name like a prayer on his tongue, unable to form any coherent thoughts other than _this is real, this is happening_.

Taeyong wraps his hands around Jaehyun’s cheeks, pulling him back in front of him and pressing a soft peck to Jaehyun’s lips. Barely a glance of his mouth against Jaehyun’s, his lips just a whisper against his skin, the touch full of emotion, full of meaning. 

Taeyong cups his face, thumbing over the arch of his cheekbone, pressing another soft kiss to his lips as he laughs softly, under his breath, “I had a whole date planned, but now that you’re here, I’m starting to think that we aren’t leaving this apartment tonight.”

“I’m glad we agree on that,” Jaehyun laughs, “but what about your roommates?” he asks, leaning forward to press an openmouthed kiss on Taeyong’s jawline, his mouth making a hot trail of bites and kisses and licks down Taeyong’s neck to the collar of his shirt. Jaehyun takes his lips off of Taeyong’s neck, leaning forward to whisper in his ear, “because the things I’m going to do to you aren’t things either of us want your friends to hear.”

Taeyong shivers, causing Jaehyun to smile against his skin before taking a step back, giving him space so he can answer him properly.

“Well, Baekhyun’s out of town, visiting family,” Taeyong says, swinging his feet where they hang off the counter innocently, as if he didn’t just have Jaehyun’s tongue in his mouth, and his hands up the back of his shirt.

Jaehyun makes a noise of agreement, prompting him, “okay, that’s a good start. And Doyoung?”

Taeyong laughs again, “and I told Doyoung not to come home tonight.”

“Presumptuous of you to assume I was going to stay the night,” Jaehyun teases, laughing as Taeyong scowls. “I’m kidding, stop making that face. Was he mad, though?”

“I didn’t give him the chance to be,” Taeyong starts, “I told him that if he didn’t leave the apartment then I would send Johnny the texts that Doie sent me last weekend when he was drunk off his ass.”

“Wait, _my Johnny?”_ Jaehyun asks, confused.

“Yeah, they have a class together or something. God, the texts were fucking great too, involved the phrase “I want to choke on his cock” and something about crying in the same sentence. After that, Doyoung was pretty easy to convince,” Taeyong says, a devilish grin on his lips.

 _“God,_ you are so fucking—” Jaehyun starts, laughing as he shakes his head lightly.

“I’m so fucking _what?”_ Taeyong whines, hitting Jaehyun’s shoulder playfully, “Ridiculous? Mean? A smart ass?”

Jaehyun shakes his head again, reaching a finger out to stroke the soft skin of Taeyong’s cheek, watching as he leans into the touch, smiling at him from under dark lashes.

“Beautiful _,”_ Jaehyun responds honestly, his voice open, raw, “ _So_ fucking beautiful.” 

Taeyong spreads his legs further, pulling Jaehyun back between them by his shoulders, running his fingers through the back of his hair as he locks his feet behind Jaehyun’s back, forcing him to put his hands back on either side of Taeyong’s hips to stabilize himself.

Taeyong leans down first, kissing Jaehyun harder than before, full of need, his lips insistent.

Taeyong leans back after a few seconds, gasping as he whispers, “bedroom, Jaehyun. Bedroom, _now,”_ between kisses, never breaking the kiss as Jaehyun picks him off of the counter, following Taeyong’s directions to his room, barely giving it a second glance as he throws Taeyong onto the bed, his pink hair fanning on the pillow behind him, his eyes filled to the brim with desire.

Their shirts come off at some point after that, hands and mouths touching every new inch of skin revealed.

“Taeyong,” Jaehyun says, pulling back from their kiss, his chest heaving as shallow breaths struggle from his mouth, “Taeyong, wait, _stop.”_

Taeyong drops his hands from where they were tangled in Jaehyun’s hair, laying his head back down on the pillow, his big brown eyes wide as he looks at Jae with concern written across his features, “what’s wrong, Jae? Did I hurt you?”

“No, never, it’s just. _Fuck._ I just need to know, um, I _need_ to know that this isn’t just a fling for you. I want you so badly it hurts, but I want _so much more_ than just you in my bed, Taeyong. I want all of you, baby,” Jaehyun whispers, pausing as he tries to read Taeyong’s expression.

“I can’t do casual,” Jaehyun clarifies, “Not with you,” he adds, his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper.

“Nothing I feel for you could be described as casual, Jaehyun,” Taeyong whispers against his lips, pressing a soft kiss there before pulling Jaehyun’s body flush against his, pressing his forehead against Jaehyun’s. “You already _have_ all of me. I’m all yours, Jae.”

Jaehyun whimpers at his words, capturing Taeyong’s lips in a bruising kiss, his hands already working to shed them of their last few layers of clothes, lips tracing every new inch of pale skin he reveals on Taeyong, worshipping him with his mouth, his tongue.

“God, you’re so fucking perfect, baby, look at you,” Jaehyun says, his hands resting on Taeyong’s hips as he holds him down onto the mattress. Taeyong’s bare body laid out below him, his dick flushed and red, curling up onto his stomach as precum leaks from the tip, angrily hard. He was the most beautiful thing Jaehyun had ever seen, needy and writhing under Jaehyun’s stare, begging for him to _fucking touch him._

His head drops between Taeyong’s thighs, sucking bruises there, biting the skin only to smooth his tongue over it a second later, reducing Taeyong to a whiny mess as he points to the bedside table for condoms and lube.

“Need you now, Jaehyun,” Taeyong whispers, gasping into Jaehyun’s mouth as he inserts his first finger, _so fucking tight._

Jaehyun works him open slowly, the pace almost cruel, each new finger added causing uninhibited moans to fall from Taeyong’s lips, his fingers only glancing at Taeyong’s prostate, teasing him with the promise of release as he squirms underneath him, begging for _more._

At the fourth finger, Taeyong is fucking himself back against Jaehyun’s hand, begging him to just _fuck him already._

Jaehyun leans back, hovering over him as his arms shake, his hands clutching desperately at the sheets by Taeyong’s side as he pushes in slowly, a moan and a curse falling from his lips as Taeyong’s body arches up into him, his nails scratching lines down his back.

He groans, pushing the last few inches in with a hard thrust, bottoming out as Taeyong screams, Jaehyun’s dick filling him, stretching him completely. 

Jaehyun pauses, chest heaving as he waits for Taeyong to adjust, his body shaking with need as Taeyong clenches around him.

“You okay?” Jaehyun asks softly, bringing a hand up to push hair out of Taeyong’s eyes.

Taeyong nods, pulling Jaehyun down into a needy kiss, whispering “move” onto his lips as Jaehyun pulls out, only to slam back into him.

Taeyong hooks his feet around Jaehyun’s back, the new angle making every thrust hit his prostate as Jaehyun fucks into him, both of them nearing their climax.

“Jaehyun,” Taeyong breathes out, his words broken, hurtling towards the edge of his climax as he moans Jaehyun’s name, “fuck _I’m so close_ , right there.”

“Me too, _fuck,_ you’re doing so good, baby. So perfect for me,” Jaehyun whispers, voice broken, completely wrecked as his body goes limp, his vision blacking out a second later as Taeyong clenches down on his cock harder than ever, coming completely untouched onto the hard panes of his stomach, Jaehyun’s name falling off the tip of his tongue.

Jaehyun kisses him softly when they both come down from their high, pulling out slowly, the movement causing Taeyong to whimper from being overstimulated.

“Holy _fuck,”_ Jaehyun whispers once his head hits the pillow, turning his head to look over at Taeyong. He turns his head to look back, a blissed-out expression on his face as he smiles, reaching out to caress his cheek. “That was…” Jaehyun trails off, turning his head to press a kiss onto Taeyong’s palm.

“I know,” Taeyong whispers, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I know,” he repeats, “only you, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun smiles, kissing him back, pressing one last kiss against his lips as he rolls out of bed with a groan, grabbing a wet towel from the bathroom and cleaning them up, discarding it on the ground as he lays back down in the bed.

Jaehyun pulls Taeyong’s body back, flush with his chest, as his eyes fluttering shut, sleep creeping in on them both.

“Mine,” Jaehyun whispers softly, placing his hand on Taeyong’s chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart under his fingertips.

 _“Yours,”_ Taeyong responds, his hand coming up to rest on top of Jaehyun’s, lacing their fingers as they fall asleep, together.

◌◌◌

Jaehyun wakes up to pale pink light creeping in through the cracks of the window’s blinds, the soft beating of a steady heart under his hand, and the familiar smell of lemon shampoo filling his nose from the head tucked tightly beneath his chin, wrapped up in his arms. Comfortable warmth surrounds him, the feeling of bare skin on bare skin from where his body is flush with Taeyong’s, a tangle of limbs under the white cotton sheets.

Jaehyun’s eyes flutter open, a mess of soft pink hair being the first thing he sees. The sun was still rising, a light orange tint from the sky splayed on the white walls next to the bed. Jaehyun smiles, pressing a gentle kiss to the exposed shoulder, causing Taeyong to groan, turning in Jaehyun’s arms to face him.

“Good morning,” Jaehyun whispers, his voice low and ruined with sleep, a hand reaching out to stroke softly down Taeyong’s bare spine, the boy’s eyes fluttering open at the sound of his voice.

“Not good morning,” Taeyong groans, yawning as he stretches, his arms falling loosely around Jaehyun’s waist as he curls his body into Jaehyun’s warmth, nuzzling his head into his neck. “Way too fucking early to be awake, Jae. You know, I love you a lot, but not enough to get up right now, go back to bed.”

Jaehyun leans forward, pressing a soft kiss on Taeyong’s lips, his heart feeling _so warm_ , emotion flooding him as he processes Taeyong’s words. “You love me?” he asks, voice small, tentative in case Taeyong misspoke.

 _“Of course,_ I love you,” Taeyong whispers, running a light hand through Jaehyun’s hair, as he smiles, leaning closer, to whisper, “I broke all my rules for you, every last one. You’re it for me, Jae. You’re _my person_ , you know.”

“God, I’m so ridiculously _in love_ with you,” Jaehyun whispers onto his lips, his cheeks hurting from how big he’s smiling, pulling Taeyong tighter into his chest, kissing the crown of his head, his heart on his sleeve, bare and open for Taeyong to do whatever he wants with it. “My favorite person in the world,” Jaehyun says, then an echo of last night, _“Mine.”_

Taeyong laughs, nuzzling back into Jaehyun’s chest, “You’re lucky I’m so fucking obsessed with you, because that was the sappiest shit ever, I almost want to make fun of you for it,” he says, his lips smiling into Jaehyun’s neck.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Jaehyun whispers. “You love me too much,” he says, taunting him.

“I do, I really do,” Taeyong whispers quietly, pressing a soft kiss to Jaehyun’s neck as his eyes flutter shut. “Okay, now that we’ve established that, can we please go back to bed?” he whines, voice pitching up as he shoves a knee between Jaehyun’s legs, cuddling closer.

“Goodnight, baby,” Jaehyun whispers, his own eyes drifting shut as he falls back asleep, dreaming of the most undeniably beautiful boy in the world.

His.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you want, leaving kudos or comments would make my day :) this is my first published jaeyong fic but I have a lot more planned for these boys <3 Have a lovely day 💗
> 
> you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/theyongprint) or [send me a curious cat](http://curiouscat.qa/ncityinthehouse):))


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